MEET THE BOARD
Co Founder - Jasper's Mother
Partner at Lopiccolo and Heyde
julie lopiccolo
Julie co-founded the Jasper Ray Foundation in 2014 with her husband, Jonathan St. Clair, in memory of their son Jasper, who died at 21 months old in a preventable drowning.
A practicing attorney and partner at Lopiccolo & Heyde, Julie specializes in family law. Alongside her legal career, she has spent more than a decade turning personal loss into policy and advocacy work: she serves on the Orange County Task Force on Drowning Prevention, has co-chaired development of a National Water Safety Action Plan, and has served on the board of the California Water Safety Coalition. Her testimony before the California legislature helped strengthen a key child injury prevention law.
Julie's advocacy has been recognized nationally, including as an Outstanding Attorney Under 40 (Remarkable Women Awards) and with the Blue Ribbon Award for her work in child safety. She has shared Jasper's story and water safety guidance through national and local media, including NBC, ABC News, FOX, and KTLA, in the hope that no other family experiences the same tragedy.
Co-Founder - Jasper's Father
Jonathan st. clair
Jonathan St. Clair co-founded the Jasper Ray Foundation in 2014 with his wife, Julie Lopiccolo, in memory of their son Jasper. Since then, he has helped guide the Foundation's mission of drowning prevention and water safety education across Orange County.
Jonathan extends that commitment nationally as a Board Member and Treasurer of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA), where he helps steward the organization's finances and advance its mission of educating, advocating, and equipping communities to prevent drowning.
He serves as General Manager of Presentation Folder, Inc.
Jonathan and Julie were recognized together as a "Power Profile" by Aquatics International magazine for their advocacy work, and have been featured together in local and national media discussing water safety and drowning prevention.
Deputy Director of Parks, Recreation & Community Services- City of Santa Ana
Treasurer
timothy j. pagano
Tim Pagano is a parks and recreation professional with 29 years of experience serving six Southern California communities. Throughout his career, he has leveraged aquatics programming as a platform to advance drowning prevention awareness and water safety education, particularly in underserved communities.
As Deputy Director for the City of Santa Ana, Tim led the restoration of in-house aquatics programming after a decade of contracted services, resulting in approximately 3,000 swim lessons and 400 scholarships in the program's first full summer. His efforts have received national recognition, including being featured in a New York Times article highlighting disparities in access to aquatic facilities and water safety education.
Tim has also served as Region 4 Representative and Treasurer for the California Parks and Recreation Society's Aquatics Section and has presented at the California Aquatics Management School Conference.
Founder- Denham Pools
Board Member
mike denham
Mike started his plunge into the aquatics world in 1986 when he started Denham's Pool Service. The first 18 years the business was focused on weekly service of residential customers with equipment repairs rounding out the workload. Mike's true interest was specializing in equipment and the new technical advances that were being developed. In 2004 the service route was transitioned into Denham Pools, specializing in Installation, Repairs and Warranty of all the equipment associated with the pools of today.
Mike, in 1986, became a member of IPSSA, Independent Pool & Spa Service Association, a non profit national organization for independent owners in the pool industry. He served 8 years on the Board of Regional Directors as Regional Director, CFO and President of the association.
After 40 years in the aquatics industry Mike is very passionate about water safety and educating children so they can enjoy and be safe around any body of water.
Trauma Injury Prevention Educator- Rady Children’s Health
Board Member & 5K Chair
makenzie ferguson
Makenzie is a pediatric emergency and trauma nurse who now works as the Injury Prevention Educator for Trauma Services. Through her years caring for ill and injured children, she cared for countless fatal and non-fatal drowning patients and saw firsthand the lasting impact these tragedies have on children, families, and the healthcare providers caring for them.
That experience inspired her passion for injury prevention, community education, and building programs that help keep children safe so they never need the hospital. Makenzie is dedicated to partnering with families, schools, community organizations, and local leaders to share practical prevention tools and expand access to safety education.
Why Water Safety Matters to Me:
I have seen too many times how quickly drowning can change a child’s life and impact an entire family. Water safety matters to me because every child deserves to be safer around water, and every family deserves the tools to help prevent this kind of tragedy.
Community Services Supervisor- City of Temecula
Board Member
mary welton
Mary is a Community Services Supervisor for the City of Temecula. Mary started her career in Aquatics when she was 15 years old as a Lifeguard and Swim Instructor for the Greater Vallejo Recreation District. She continued to work as a Pool Manager and Recreation Technician while attending Chapman University in Orange, CA. at Chapman University, Mary was a member of the Chapman Women’s Swim and Dive team where she served as Team Captain her Junior and Senior seasons and a member of the Chapman Women’s Water Polo Team and served as Team Captain in her Senior season. Mary was awarded the Jack Duddy Female Leadership Award by the Chapman University Athletic Department and was awarded the Outstanding Senior award from the Dean of Students office. Mary is a certified Lifeguard, Lifeguard Instructor, Lifeguard Instructor Trainer, Water Safety Instructor, and Water Safety Instructor Trainer with the American Red Cross and a certified Aquatic Facility Operator.
She serves on the Board of Directors the Southern California Public Pool Operators Association (SCPPOA) and on the Educational Committee for the Association of Aquatic Professionals (AOAP). The Temecula Aquatics Team runs two year-round aquatic facilities and one additional seasonal facility with programs including lap swim, water exercise classes, and swim lessons to specialized programs, including adaptive swim lessons, water polo, and a robust volunteer program.
The City of Temecula Team is an award-winning program with multiple Best of the Best awards for Lifeguard Management form Aquatics International. Temecula Aquatics is also a recipient of the American Red Cross Centennial Program funds and First 5 Riverside to provide swim lessons for low-income families.
Mary’s passion is in water safety. By teaching people of all ages how to swim, it allows individuals and families the opportunity to be safe in and around the water and have the same fun and joy around the water that she was able to cultivate.
Administrator at The Jasper Ray Foundation
janice thomas
Janice N. Thomas, MS, brings with her over fifteen years of experience in marketing, communications, public relations, and event management. Passionate about driving brand awareness and fostering strong community partnerships, she excels in managing people, processes, and budgets—delivering strategic results with creativity and care.
Ms. Thomas has a proven track record of developing and executing successful marketing strategies, media relations efforts, and integrated communication campaigns. Her diverse experience includes collaborations with top networks such as Prime Video and NBC Universal, managing high-impact events, and overseeing full-scale rebranding initiatives.
In addition to her corporate and agency work, Janice has spent over 20 years working with nonprofit organizations in various capacities—helping mission-driven teams amplify their impact, secure critical funding, and build lasting relationships with the communities they serve.
She holds a Master’s degree in Mass Communication with a focus in Public Relations and is committed to using her expertise to elevate voices, causes, and brands that matter.